Truth Hurts
by Gemkat5
Summary: My little One Shot of how Jareth just couldn’t let Sarah go, and comes back for her after she thought she won. Rated M for sexual content.


Disclaimer: The only thing I claim to own is the insane idea that formed this story, everything else is borrowed from respective owners and copyrights.

Summary: This particular storyline as been around ffnet at least twice- I think. But, this is my take… a little one shot… of how Jareth just couldn't let Sarah go, and comes back for her after she thought she won. Rated M for sexual content.

TRUTH HURTS

Sarah sat in the dark, still too wired to go to sleep. Her new friends from the labyrinth had went home around three in the morning, she'd changed into a long shirt, shorts, and sat in bed to wait for sleep to remotely tap on her eyes. Her knees were drawn under the blanket, her arms wrapped around them with her chin resting on top. "I beat you, Jareth," she whispered in the dark, still astonished at that fact. "Not sure how, but I beat you."

"I let you win." His disembodied voice whispered in response.

She jumped at his voice, grabbed the blanket instinctively, and searched her room warily for sight of him.

"But it's far from over, dear Sarah."

"You have no power over me!" she declared boldly.

"Wrong," he answered in a pleasant tone. "I '_had_' no power over you. That applied to the challenge to win back your brother, and you succeeded in doing that."

She fearfully looked towards her bedroom door, afraid he had come back for her little brother, despite her winning him back.

"He's safe," he reassured her, knowing what caused her apprehension. "No harm will come to him by my hand or any other from my kingdom." Finally, he stepped from the darkest shadow so she may see her nemesis in the dim lighting from outside. She wanted to stand up and stare him down defiantly, except she was too scared to move.

"It's over. I beat you, just accept that, and go back to your own world!" she told him, mustering up some inner defiance.

He chuckled without humor. "I will, but, not because you deem me to do so. While I'm gone I want you to live your life, Sarah. Go to parties, excel in school, make friends… I want you to live everyday as though it were your last in this world."

"I planned on doing that anyway. You didn't have to bother coming to say goodbye."

He tilted his head back and laughed. "Is that what you think? This is far from goodbye. I'll be back for you one day, and don't defy me, Sarah. I can be much crueler than you could imagine." He stepped closer to the bed, an ethereal light shone around him to give Sarah a clear view of his features. "You weren't supposed to win. I want you with me, and I will have you. I'm simply preparing you ahead of time so you can't say… 'it's not fair' when I return."

"You have no power over me! I won!"

He smiled triumphantly, fading slowly from her sights. "Live your life, Sarah, knowing that I will come back for you."

XxXxX

For the next few days following his warning, Sarah had been jumpy and continuously looked over her shoulder at every little sound, waiting for him to magically be there to take her way. After a few weeks that followed, with no sight or sound from other worldly being, she was able to sleep better and eased her fears, though she prayed every night that he wouldn't come for her, that it had been his sick means of a joke just to scare her.

Weeks turned into months, and months turned into years. Eventually, she forgot about his warning, for the most part anyway. He would remind her every year on 'their' anniversary with a small gift, a crystal, nothing more. She had a shoebox full of the damn things by the time she met someone whom she wanted to become seriously involved with.

"Are you ready?"

"Hmm?" she sounded, rolling over in her sleep, cracking her eyes open to slits.

She was twenty-seven now. She had earned a degree in management and had done well enough for herself over the years. She had her own apartment, her own car, and was planning on meeting Jack Dugan the next day for their first 'official' date. Sarah didn't 'date' so to speak, she 'went out with' or 'met someone' or the ever popular 'one night stand' had always been her favorite. Fun with no strings, that's how she liked it. But, something about Jack was different, and she was willing to see if, maybe, he could be 'the one' she'd been waiting for her whole life.

"Sarah."

"Hmm…" she sounded again, not bothering to try and wake up this time.

He stepped over to the bed, leaning close to whisper gently in her ear. "It's time, Sarah."

She breathed deeply while stretching her limbs and back. Smelling the tantalizing scent of masculinity, she snaked her hand up around his neck and splayed her fingers in his hair. She moaned at the sensation, and rolled to her back to use both hands to pull his head down to meet her waiting lips.

He responded to her forwardness, knowing that she had no idea who it was she was kissing. He'd watched her enough over the years to know she was by far no longer a virgin. A fact that, oddly enough, hadn't bother him in the least. He wanted her to know herself, her own wants and desires, and to be confident enough to tell him what they were. He wanted her to be authoritive and strong, and so far she hadn't disappointed him.

Until she had met this new associate, Jack. Jareth hadn't liked the way she looked at the man, the way she laughed at his pathetic humor, the way she assertively told him she'd like to meet with him for dinner. She had never behaved in such a manner with any other male she had associated herself with. It was time to take her home before her heart fell in the wrong place. He magically removed his coat, medallion, and boots, then laid himself bodily on top of her as she continued to arouse him with her tongue and playful teeth.

Her hands grabbed at his hair, her fingers ran through the uneven strands as though she'd never felt anything like it before in her life, and she hadn't, she simply didn't know it at the moment. He ran his hand along her side, his other hand finding its way under her sleek nightie to grasp a breast. She moaned and shifted under him, kicking off her blanket to roll him onto his back. Her mouth was at his neck now, her body grinding and sliding along his. He pushed her back to the mattress, claiming a supple breast in his mouth, teasing the sensitive nub with his teeth and tongue. His hand went between her legs and slid past her panties to rub her sensitive spot.

She arched her back for him in response and gasped. Clinging to his shoulders she raked her nails down his suddenly bared back, and continued to set his flesh on fire with her touch. Not wanting to break the flow of good fortune, he manually removed his trousers, doing the same for her while kissing her inner thighs as she urged him on. She apparently really loved the feel of his hair as her fingers tangled in it, pulling him back up to cover her body with his.

She wrapped a leg around his hip, grinding into him feverishly, reaching for him with a free hand. He groaned loudly as her hand enclosed around him and guided him between her thighs. He gently bit her earlobe, sucked on her neck, and with a slow thrust of his hips pushed himself inside. His head swam at the feel of her, his Sarah, his queen, the one he'd waited for all this time.

The sensations he awoke within her were nothing short of a dream. She didn't remember having anyone with her when she'd fallen asleep, but that had happened more than once before, and didn't cause her any concern. She finally decided to open her eyes to see who it was she was playing with. "Oh shit!"

He heard her gasp as she physically tensed under him. He refused to let her ruin this, he'd waited too long. Besides, he wouldn't be able to stop now for anything. He quickly claimed her lips with his and placed a small enchantment over her. Her eyes fell half closed with arousal, her arms engulfed him once more, her body responded to his with heated desire.

She whimpered but had a feeling he hadn't heard her. Jareth was definitely not the man she thought she had in her bed, and before she could adjust to the shock he put an enchantment on her, subduing her will to fight against him. The trouble was that she didn't want to fight against him, every caress and touch of his lips drove her absolutely over the edge.

His hair was so soft with a magic of its own that it sent thrills of pleasure down her spine as she ran her fingers through it. She was at the height of no return, no matter who he was, all that mattered was what he was making her feel. That was until he placed an enchantment on her. She felt the difference as soon as his lips had claimed hers. He obviously underestimated himself, which was surprising in itself, because his enchantment didn't come anywhere close to how he made her feel naturally.

Grabbing his hair with both fists she fought the magical spell, her desire to have that intense feeling of arousal again was just strong enough to equal his magic. "Jare…" she breathed, clenching his hair in tight fists, holding his head close to hers when he tried to pull back in astonishment at hearing her voice. "no mag…" she panted heavily with the effort to fight the enchantment, her eyes squeezed tightly shut. "… no… magic!" Her fingers let him loose, her hands fell slackly to his shoulders, her body sagged back to the mattress. She'd given everything she had in her attempt to fight the spell. It was now up to him to release the enchantment or continue with it in place.

He stared dumbly at her, watching her panting heavily, exhausted from her effort to fight his magic. That she was capable of speaking her mind at all was unheard of. Her words, the bits that she was able to utter, confused him even more so. He removed the enchantment, but prepared himself for all hell to break loose. He was not, by any means, prepared for what she did next.

Feeling the enchantment lifted, she grabbed him bodily and rolled him to his back, pinning his head to the pillow by fistfuls of blonde hair. "You are too cruel to tease then deny what you are capable of!" she declared forcefully before her lips crashed down on his passionately, her body rejoining with his as she straddled his hips. His hands grabbed her hips after only a brief hesitation. This was definitely not the reaction he had expected, but one he gladly fulfilled.

XxXxX

The sun had come up hours ago yet they both still lay in her tousled bed. She had been insatiable, daring, and had refused to stop their love making until she was thoroughly exhausted. He rested lightly with her lying against him, his arm around her shoulders as she slept contentedly with her head on his chest, her fingers knotted in the longer strands of his hair.

It amazed him how she had almost broke his enchantment, and then surprised him further when she expressed her ire at him for 'holding back' as she had phrased it. Apparently her reaction to him naturally was more than enough to keep her wanting more, and she made him promise to never use magic while they share a bed again. Little did she know that that's why he was there in the first place. He sighed deeply, hoping she surprised him yet again with an unexpected reaction to him taking her back with him, though he doubted that would be as easy as pleasing her sexual desires.

"Why are you here?" she asked groggily, breaking the content silence.

"Why?" he repeated, turning his chin to peer down at the top of her head. "Because at the moment you have me bound to you in your bed with your fingers weaved tightly in my hair."

She lifted her head to meet his eyes. "You can slip away at any time, and we both know it."

"Why would I want to?" he countered in a relaxed tone.

She thoughtfully rested her cheek on his chest for another minute, her fingers idly caressing the long strands of blonde hair within her grasp. "I don't want to know why you came here last night," she stated decisively, and rolled away from him to swing her legs over the side of the bed.

Her day's agenda ran through her mind as she stood up, and reached for her robe. Take the car for an oil change, pick up some groceries, stop by the dry cleaners for her dress…. She had one arm through a sleeve of her robe when it hit her. "You're here because of Jack," she whispered with dread, looking back at thoroughly sated being in her bed.

"I'm here to take you back, as I promised I'd do one day." He rolled to his side to keep her in view, one arm under his head, the other draped at his waist.

"No," she whispered, shaking her head, her face full of anguish. "Dammit, Jareth, no! Not now! I finally met someone that…" She stopped speaking.

"You could love?" He finished for her suggestively, shifting into a sitting position. "Yes, I'm aware of that," he stated firmly, meeting her gaze directly. "But, I hold claim to your heart. If it's going to be given, it will be to me."

"You bastard," she whispered incredulously.

"That's not what you were calling me last night," he grinned slyly. "Nor earlier this morning for that matter."

She turned away from him. She couldn't deny what he had made her feel physically. How wanton she had been with him, how satisfying having sex with him had been. But, to leave everything behind for him was too much. "You're like the bringer of death," she whispered, staring off through the lace curtains on the window. "You just come from nowhere and pluck me right out of my home, my life, my friends, and family." She turned to face him. "Everything I've worked for means nothing to you."

"Everything you've worked for, you did for me," he replied arrogantly, clasping his hands leisurely behind his head as he laid back on the pillow.

"How the hell do you figure that?" she asked irately, stepping closer to the side of the bed.

"I told you to live your life, and you have. I told you to attend school, to make friends, to grow and mature, and you've done all of those things exceptionally well. You're stronger than you realize, fair and yet just as cruel as I can be. I let you go so that you would return to me understanding what I expect of you. You have made my wait without you by my side worth every minute."

He lithely left the bed, a shimmer of magic fully clothing him, and looking as regal as she remembered him. Walking to her dresser he opened the second drawer from the top. "You never gazed in the crystals I've given you," he stated as he removed the rectangular box from its hiding place. He took off the lid and peered down at the unused crystals piled inside. "I'll leave you for a few hours, Sarah," he stated easily, glancing at her as he placed the box on her bed. "I suggest you start gazing, they should explain more to you." He stepped back to stand in the center of the room. "Either way, you will return with me when I come back." With that said, he faded from her sight.

XxXxX

After having a fit and a half, screaming and shouting, throwing and slamming things as she hadn't done in ages, Sarah sunk on her bed with mild resolve to at least satisfy her sudden curiosity for what the crystals contained, and picked one out of the shoebox. She never looked at them, afraid that if she had that it would take her back to him immediately. But, apparently that wasn't the case at all. She had no idea which one he'd given her first, they all looked the same. So gazing at them in sequential order wasn't going to happen unless they magically did so themselves. Raising a transparent ball to her eyes, she watched as a message played for her instruction.

It showed Jareth lounging lazily upon his throne chair, idly tapping his boot with a riding crop while holding a crystal, this very crystal it seemed, in his other hand.

"I'm certain that you're only gazing at this crystal because I've just told you to do so," he stated, raising his eyes to seemingly meet hers. She almost dropped it from the clarity, the realism that came from the image. "You've spent far too much time fearing my return," he continued nonplussed. He glanced at something off to the side, frowned, then smiled with amusement as his attention returned to his message. "I can assure you that you'll have quite a few years to yourself before it's time to join me. And yes, Sarah, you will join me… eventually." The crystal simply popped into thin air with a small spattering of fine glitter that disappeared as it drifted downwards.

"Well, at least he's short and to the point," she mused to herself, reaching in the box for the next crystal, picking another one at random. She held it to her eyes and breathed out slowly at the wondrous scene that appeared within the globe. The sky over the labyrinth was divided. It was both day and night at the same time. The rising sun was almost a pastel rose color, while the full moon shone bright and silver. The indigo part of the night sky had stars that twinkled brightly, seemingly to dance hypnotically while the morning side burst with vibrant colors, some of which Sarah had never seen before. She watched entranced as the two sides of the sky blended, somehow overlapping each other in a way that could only be claimed as magical.

"You're witnessing what we call Magician's Twilight," Jareth's voice narrated. "It occurs once every fifty thousand years. I thought to share just one of the splendors of my world so you can witness for yourself that it's not always so glum as when you had seen it while being here."

Sarah was disappointed when the crystal popped. It had been so beautiful that she wanted to see it again, and again, if possible. She reached for the next crystal more eagerly, curious and excited at what else he had wanted her to see of his world. It showed Jareth walking outside near the gardens, the crystal following behind him, floating in the air as he walked. He wore gray breeches with a matching shirt, a black vest, and black boots. He paused and half turned, the crystal paused with his movements. He looked troubled as Sarah watched him. His expression bland, his eyes heavy with thought.

He looked up to the sky then turned his face to the hovering orb as though he would say something, but, then turned away instead. It was clear that something was wrong. Sarah waited for him to show her something, say something, that would explain what was happening. Finally, he reached out his hand and the crystal floated into his palm. He placed his other hand over the top, enclosing it in darkness.

"I know you view me as cruel, Sarah," his voice filtered through the darkened orb, his voice sounded troubled and full of anguish. "You think I'm heartless and cold, incapable of love or having feelings of any sort." He let the crystal go to resume its hovering by his shoulder. He glanced at it peripherally, showing only a hint of the deep emotions that haunted his eyes.

"Something occurred today that hasn't happened in over seven hundred years. I apologize that I'm ruining your anniversary gift, but I can't bring myself to mock, tease, nor laugh at the moment." He turned to face the crystal. "I lost a wisher to a tragic accident, Sarah, and it effects me deeply." The glint of a tear under his eye caught the sun as he turned his face away in remorse.

The crystal popped in her hand, leaving her with moist eyes at his torment. His voice had been so full of anguish that she felt it in her own heart. It made her see him in a far different light. She had the sudden urge to wipe at a tear that wasn't quite ready to fall from her eye. She reached for the next crystal with a heavy heart.

She jumped slightly when Jareth's face appeared at a close up angle, as though he were leaning close to her. "You have been a very daring girl recently, haven't you?" he smirked with knowing eyes. "That's good. Continue exploring your sexuality. It comes as a surprise to me that I'd much rather have you fumble awkwardly with others than having to deal with that myself." He stepped back so that she viewed him from the waist up. "Don't concern yourself too much. I'm not interested in viewing the details, Sarah. I'd much rather wait for that sort of attention from you personally. Though, I will warn you that the one you deem so trustworthy is nothing more than a lying sod. But, we both know you'll see this message far too late." He laughed a mocking, arrogant laugh as the bubble popped into glittery dust.

"Asshole," Sarah mumbled while glowering into the box. She knew exactly who Jareth had referred to. His name was Johnny Vincent, and he had been a smooth talker and sexy as hell. And, unfortunately, as slippery as oil. She wondered if she would have heeded Jareth's warning if she had gotten the message in time. Something told her, not likely.

The next several crystals showed Jareth's various moods, temperaments, and how much he had watched her over the years. And yes, the crystals seemed to have put themselves magically in chronological order as he congratulated her for successes in her life, empathy for when things hadn't always gone so well, reminded her that the boys in her life meant nothing, and mockingly encouraged her to keep trying to find one to sate all her desires.

But, he also showed himself playing a game with the goblins, the stress of him handling difficult decisions as a king, and once when he was completely intoxicated on goblin ale. Apparently he had made the crystal and his goblins had passed it around to capture the king's antics without him realizing it, then sent it to her before he sobered.

After becoming agitated, frowning a lot, feeling pity for him, and laughing out right, Sarah finally held the last glass orb in her hand. Holding it up to her eyes with something akin to foreboding, she hoped he left her in at least a good mood before showing up in person.

The last crystal showed him walking along a stone corridor inside his castle, the crystal following him in mid-air as it had done many times before. "This could possibly be the last crystal. If it's not, then there should only be one or two more in your little box." He stepped up some steps to a higher lever, and continued down another corridor. "I expected you to be with me by now, but I've been waiting for you to discover one more thing on your own." He paused by a stone arched window, a breeze gently stirred his hair as he peered out. Sarah noticed a bright, sun filled sky out the window. "However, my patience is waning, and I want you by my side, regardless if you are ready or not." Then, the crystal popped.

Sarah sighed deeply, and tilted the shoebox just to make sure there were no more crystals in it. Finding it empty, she stared out at nothing as she recapped all he had said to her, showed her, and promised her within the past twelve years.

"You understand why I waited?" he asked from behind, suddenly appearing in her room.

She jerked with only mild surprise at him suddenly being there, and turned her head to face him. "Yes," she whispered. "You wanted to know if I could love, or not."

"I needed you to grow, to cry, to laugh, to live, to dream… and to fall in love." He stepped closer. "You wouldn't have learned those things from me, and yet you need them all to be with me." He held a hand out towards her. "It's time to begin a new life."

"What if I don't want a new life?" she challenged, rising to her feet. "What if I want to finish this one, and see where it leads me?"

"Is that really what you want?" he asked her, lowering his hand just slightly.

"I've worked very hard for what I have, and just when it all seems to be coming together you want me to leave it all behind, and for what, Jareth? What will I have in the Underground? Besides you, and a few old friends, what exactly is there for me?"

"Come with me, and I'll show you."

She turned away from him to stare wistfully out her window, and sighed deeply. "You're not going to let me stay here, are you?"

"You've known this day would come," he stated in a firm tone. "I've been more than patient, Sarah."

She turned from the window and faced him. "I don't even remember what I said that gave you this power over me."

"You wished for someone to save you, and take you away from this horrible place."

"I was only fifteen, Jareth!"

"You were much younger than that the first time you made that wish. You've also expressed it many times since your return, though usually with much more vulgarity."

"I'm not leaving with you willingly," she stated, crossing her arms, and raising her chin with defiance. "If you want me, then you come and get me."

Slowly, he approached her, watching as her defiance wavered with each slow, precise step he took. She raised her chin bravely, though diverted her eyes to just over his shoulder. He took her face in his hands when he reached her, and tilted her face up to his. "Why do you deny yourself of what you truly want? I understood before, when you had a child to save, when you didn't understand what you wanted ,or what the feelings were inside of you. But, you understand all too well now, and yet you still defy me."

"Because I can't just walk away from everything I've worked for. I can't just abandon my home, my life..." She looked up at him with sincere filled eyes. '_How can I stay here after everything you've shown me?_' she thought, gazing into his eyes one at a time. '_How can you make me feel so complete when no one in my life had ever come close?_' "Who will water my plants?"

Jareth's expression smoothed. A grin graced his even lips while his eyes shone with amusement. "Close your eyes, Sarah," he told her in a kind voice. "I'm taking you where you belong."


End file.
